Supreme Court expert reveals 5 potential picks to replace Scalia

U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia's Bench Chair and the Bench in front of his seat draped in black after his death. Supreme Court handout

Tom Goldstein, a co-founder of the influential SCOTUSblog, has revealed five potential picks for replacing Antonin Scalia's seat on the Supreme Court.

Goldstein uses two specific criteria to pick the candidates for this list. First, they must serve on a federal court of appeals. Second, they must have received unanimous Republican support during their confirmation process.

These are Goldstein's picks:

Gregg Costa— Fifth circuit. Two Republican senators from Texas wrote a letter to Obama suggesting that he nominate Costa for his former seat, on the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Jane Kelly— Eighth circuit. She received support during nomination from Charles Grassley, the Republican chair of the judiciary committee.

Sri Srinivasan— DC circuit. He was previously the deputy solicitor general in the Department of Justice.

Apart from these five picks, Goldstein has also floated Ketanji Brown Jackson— who is reportedly being vetted by the Obama administration — as a potential pick. Jackson sits on the US District Court for the District of Columbia, and she's related to Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) through marriage. Ryan offered his "unequivocal support" for Jackson during her confirmation in 2012.